Filibusters and Debate Curbs

News about Filibusters and Debate Curbs, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Feb. 6, 2015

Congressional Memo; Senate Republicans fail to overcome Democratic filibuster in third consecutive attempt to pass bill financing Homeland Security Dept; failure reflects how Republicans are coming to grips with difficulties of being in majority, managing intraparty discord and facing disruptive opposition tactics that long served them when they were in minority. MORE

Mar. 4, 2014

Congressional Memo; Sen Mitch McConnell promises a more open floor if he becomes majority leader, saying he will restore certain rules and traditions; does not commit to reversing limits on filibusters, but says idea will be on the table if he is given control. MORE

Feb. 10, 2014

Paul Krugman Op-Ed column criticizes Senate Republicans for once again using the filibuster to block aid to the long-term unemployed; contends it is an example of the hardhearted, softheaded nature of today's Republican Party. MORE

Dec. 11, 2013

Senate confirms Rep Melvin Watt as head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and Patricia Ann Millett to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit; Republicans have decided to make the confirmation process as time-consuming and painful as possible for Democrats in response to changes to rules governing the use of the filibuster. MORE

Dec. 10, 2013

Nov. 30, 2013

Two federal court decisions limiting abortion and contraception became decisive factor in persuading Democrats to sharply curb the use of filibusters; Democrats, faced with possibility they might never be able to seat more liberal judges, recognized they had to risk a backlash in the Senate to head off what they saw as a far greater long-term threat to their priorities in the form of a judiciary tilted to the right. MORE

Nov. 29, 2013

Court watchers say decision by Senate Democrats to eliminate filibusters for most judicial nominations only marginally enhances Pres Obama's power to reshape the judiciary; Senate's 'blue slip' custom still allows Republican to block nominees to judgeships associated with their states with little explanation required. MORE

Nov. 29, 2013

Editorial questions whether Republicans can gum up the gears of Congress more than they already have; notes party's threat to do so in response to Senate Democrats curbing the use of the filibuster; contends the most immediate priority for Congress is to reach a budget agreement; predicts agreement will not be reached due to Republican intransigence. MORE

Nov. 23, 2013

Landmark Senate vote to end filibusters for most presidential nominees is just one symptom of the deep level of dysfunction coursing through 113th Congress as the year before midterm elections draws to a close; list of unfinished tasks facing Congress is daunting, and the House and Senate will only have one overlapping week to try to get much accomplished. MORE

Nov. 23, 2013

News analysis; Republicans block three nominees to a federal appeals court in Washington, saying court has insufficient workload, but experts say real issue is its ideological balance; court's active judges are evenly divided between Republican and Democrat appointees, but if Obama's pending appointments are confirmed under new rules, which end minority party's ability to filibuster most presidential nominees, that balance will change. MORE

Nov. 22, 2013

Senate approves most fundamental alteration of its rules in more than a generation, ending minority party’s ability to filibuster most presidential nominees; Senate will be able to cut off debate on executive and judicial branch nominees with simple majority rather than supermajority of 60 votes; move comes in response to what Democrats view as Republican obstructionism on Pres Obama's cabinet and judicial nominations. MORE

Nov. 22, 2013

News analysis; Senate vote to curb filibusters will give Pres Obama short-term lift for his nominees, judicial and otherwise, but strong-arm move could usher in era of rank partisan warfare; ultimately, group of centrists could find muscle to hold Senate at bay until bipartisan solutions are found, but for foreseeable future wounded Republicans are far more likely to unify against Democrats. MORE

Nov. 22, 2013

Editorial praises Senate Democrats for changing its rules to effectively end the filibuster on executive and judicial nominees, which Republicans have abused; contends vote to change rules was an appropriate use of the majority's power and was necessary to turn the Senate back into a functioning legislative body. MORE

Nov. 21, 2013

Senate Democrats are on the verge of moving to eliminate the use of the filibuster against most presidential nominees, move that would deprive Republicans of their ability to block Pres Obama’s picks for cabinet posts and the federal judiciary and further erode what little bipartisanship still exists in the Senate. MORE

Nov. 21, 2013

Gail Collins Op-Ed column urges Senate Democrats to change rules governing use of the filibuster; contends Republicans' obstruction of nominations of judges to fill vacancies on the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals is unreasonable. MORE

Nov. 20, 2013

Democrats say Sen Harry Reid, majority leader, is prepared to move forward with a vote that could severely limit the minority party's ability to filibuster presidential nominees; Reid is exasperated by Republicans' refusal to confirm many of Pres Obama's nominees, most recently judges who have been nominated to fill appellate court vacancies. MORE

Nov. 19, 2013

Senate Republicans block Judge Robert L Wilkins’s nomination to United States Court of Appeals for District of Columbia Circuit, denying Pres Obama his third consecutive pick to fill vacancy on nation’s most powerful appeals court; move inflames bitter debate over a president's right to shape the judiciary, and Republicans are on the verge of exhausting the last bit of tolerance Democrats have shown for such regular use of the filibuster on nominations. MORE

Nov. 13, 2013

Republicans block nomination of Cornelia T L Pillard, Pres Obama's choice to fill one of vacancies on powerful United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit; it is third blocked nomination in two weeks, deepening a growing conflict with Democrats that could result in change to Senate rules to limit minority party's ability to filibuster presidential nominees. MORE

Nov. 1, 2013

Senate Republicans thwart confirmation of two of Pres Obama’s nominees, Rep Melvin Watt to director of Federal Housing Finance Agency and Patricia Ann Millett to United States Court of Appeals for District of Columbia Circuit; move sets up confrontation with Democrats that could escalate into larger fight over limiting filibuster and restrict how far minority party can go to block a president's agenda. MORE

Oct. 30, 2013

Senate Democrats plan to force a vote to fill vacancy on United States Court of Appeals for District of Columbia Circuit, which often rules on presidents’ policies; move threatens to reopen bitter fight over limiting filibuster if Republicans follow through on their pledge to block Pres Obama's nominee Patricia Ann Millett. MORE

Jul. 30, 2013

Senate votes 93-to-1 to confirm James B Comey, Pres Obama's pick as director of Federal Bureau of Investigation; consideration of other nominees threatens fragile pact that preserved filibuster for executive branch appointees. MORE

Jul. 19, 2013

Pres Obama's executive branch nominees continue to cruise through the Senate, including his controversial pick to be labor secretary--Thomas E Perez--as Republican anger over deal to avoid a weakening of the filibuster seeps into the open. MORE

Jul. 18, 2013

Congressional Memo; some policy makers practiced in the art of compromise say Senate agreement to pull back from unilateral rules changes that would have eroded power of filibuster represents potential missed opportunity. MORE

Jul. 17, 2013

Senate leaders reach agreement to preserve filibuster in exchange for confirmation votes on Pres Obama's stalled nominees, ending months of partisan warfare that threatened stability of several federal agencies; Sens John McCain and Charles E Schumer were instrumental in reaching the deal. MORE

Jul. 17, 2013

Editorial welcomes Senate's overdue confirmation of Richard Cordray as director of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, as well as agreement by Republicans to allow up-or-down votes on six other appointments as part of deal to end filibuster standoff; regrets, however, that Majority Leader Harry Reid and Democrats did not change procedural rules to require simple-majority vote for confirmation of executive appointments. MORE

Jul. 16, 2013

Senators emerge from closed-door meeting saying they are confident an agreement can be reached to end standoff over change to filibuster rules, though no deal is struck; Majority Leader Harry Reid has vowed to change procedural option if Republicans do not stop blocking Pres Obama's nominees to executive branch positions. MORE

Jul. 16, 2013

Editorial welcomes change in Senate rules announced by Sen Harry Reid that would ban filibuster for executive appointments; holds shift is modest yet important reassertion of majority rule that will finally allow the president to assert his fundamental right to assemble executive team without interminable delay and ideological litmus tests. MORE

Jul. 13, 2013

Congressional Memo; both House and Senate erupt in furor over farm bill and proposed changes to rules that would limit the filibuster; even in a Congress where bipartisanship and comity are now officially exceptions to regular order, near implosion on Capitol Hill that goes on for much of the day is notable. MORE

Jul. 12, 2013

Senate moves toward imposing historic limits on how filibuster can be used as Senate majority leader Harry Reid sets in motion series of votes on Obama administration nominees that could force long-festering fight with Republicans to a head; Sen Mitch McConnell, Republican leader, calls move to bar the minority party from filibustering presidential appointees a power grab. MORE

Jul. 9, 2013

Senate Democrats are planning to force confirmation votes on appointments by Pres Obama, and to threaten rules changes to thwart Republican tactics like the filibuster. MORE

Jul. 4, 2013

Former Texas State Sen Bill Meier holds record for longest filibuster by American politician in a state legislature, 1977 occasion when he spoke nonstop for some 43 hours; Meier and State Sen Wendy Davis, whose filibuster of abortion bill for 11 hours turned her into national star, both share distinction of having wasted hours of time in order to actually make a difference, although briefly and perhaps only symbolically. MORE

Jul. 1, 2013

Abortion rights advocacy of Texas State Sen Wendy Davis might have never gained widespread attention without Live stream on YouTube; feed of 12-hour filibuster provided by nonprofit news organization The Texas Tribune went viral and gave Davis a national platform. MORE

Jun. 27, 2013

Gail Collins Op-Ed column describes the scene at the Texas State Senate when State Senator Wendy Davis filibustered for eleven hours new law that would shut down almost all abortion clinics in the state. MORE

Jun. 26, 2013

Texas Democrats attempt to prevent Republicans from passing legislation that would give state some of toughest abortion restrictions in nation; effort includes nearly 11-hour filibuster by State Sen Wendy Davis; Republicans, who control both State Senate and House, will likely have another chance for passage. MORE

Jun. 22, 2013

May. 17, 2013

Threat of further Republican attempts to thwart Pres Obama's ability to assemble his second-term cabinet increases likelihood of fight over Senate's filibuster rules; nominations of Gina McCarthy as head of Environmental Protection Agency and Thomas E Perez as labor secretary received no Republican support and are expected to face GOP filibusters. MORE

Apr. 10, 2013

Several Senate Republicans say they will not participate in filibuster of first major gun control bill since 1993, as Democrats appear on verge of overcoming blockade threatened by group of conservatives; majority leader Sen Harry Reid says he will set an initial showdown vote. MORE

Apr. 10, 2013

Nomination of Sri Srinivasan to United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit will test strategy that White House and Senate Democrats hope will put Republicans in a bind; Republicans will have to approve highly regarded Srinivasan or risk forcing change in Senate rules that could prevent them from filibustering nominees. MORE

Mar. 29, 2013

Editorial criticizes Republicans for unprecedented obstacles they have erected for Pres Obama's cabinet and judicial nominees; urges Democrats to change Senate rules and prohibit all filibusters of nominations. MORE

Mar. 9, 2013

Democrats plan response as Senate Republicans continue to block Pres Obama from filling any of the four vacancies on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit; Democrats may attempt to change Senate confirmation rules if filibusters continue. MORE

Mar. 8, 2013

Republican Senator Rand Paul’s filibuster highlighting his misgivings about how drones are used wins praise from the Tea Party movement and civil-liberties-minded liberals, but fellow Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham accuse him of scaremongering; analysts say he has enmeshed GOP in broader debate over national security that scrambles politics of left and right. MORE

Mar. 7, 2013

Senate Republicans block confirmation of Caitlin J Halligan to become a federal appeals court judge in the District of Columbia, second time in two years Republicans have filibustered her nomination. MORE

Mar. 7, 2013

Gail Collins Op-Ed column contends that Sen Rand Paul's filibuster against nomination of Patrick Brennan to head Central Intelligence Agency was nice change of pace from how Senate normally does its business, with senators using mere threat of filibusters to hold up important votes. MORE

Feb. 26, 2013

Editorial urges Senate to confirm Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense without delay; criticizes Republican threat to filibuster his nomination. MORE

Feb. 15, 2013

Editorial criticizes Republicans for using power of filibuster to block vote on Chuck Hagel; argues procedure was merely excuse to deny Pres Obama his nominee for defense secretary for as long as possible; laments that Harry Reid did not agree to Senate proposal to restore power of majority, which would reduce this type of filibuster abuse. MORE

Feb. 11, 2013

Editorial criticizes Senate Republicans for using filibuster to block appointment of Richard Cordray as director of Consumer Protection Bureau; contends move will keep agency from carrying out its mission of regulating financial industry; calls on Senate Democrats to ban filibusters of presidential nominees. MORE

Feb. 5, 2013

Several Republican senators, most notably John McCain, say they oppose use of filibuster to block vote on confirmation of former Sen Chuck Hagel as secretary of defense, moving nominee closer to approval. MORE

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